ON THE KOMBOSKINI {Prayer Rope}
by Saint Paisios the Athonite
Elder, Why should we use the komboskini (the prayer rope)? What is it all about?
The komboskini (the prayer rope) is a legacy, a blessing, handed down to us by our Holy Fathers. The fact it is a legacy makes it greatly valuable. If a grandfather hands down to someone something of very little value, he keeps it as an amulet. Much more so, for the komboskini handed down to us as a legacy by our Holy Fathers! In the old days there were no clocks, so the monks were counting the hours of prayer with their komboskini, but the knots were very simple.
Once, an ascetic was working very hard, doing prostrations etc., but the devil was unbinding the knots of his komboskini. He got weary with his prostrations, since he could not count them, as the devil was continuously unbinding the knots. Finally, an Angel of the lord appeared and taught him how to knit the knots properly, so that with each knot 9 crosses should be formed. The devil, who trembles before the Cross, could not unbind the knots. So, each knot forms nine crosses, which symbolize the nine angelic orders.
Elder, what do the 33, 100, 3000 knot komboskinia stand for?
Only the number 33 is symbolic of Christ’s 33 years on earth. The other numbers simply help us count our prostrations and our prayer. Some engines have a handle with a rope in order to start. So when you want to start the engine, you pull the rope with force, until the stiff oil becomes fluid. Similarly the komboskini is the rope we pull a few times till the spiritual oil melts making the spiritual engine start working the unceasing prayer. Thereafter, the heart starts working on its own. However, even when the heart starts working the prayer we should not stop using the komboskini so as not a prompt others to stop using it while their heart has not started working the prayer yet.
Elder, I am not familiar with using the komboskini.
You should keep the komboskini on you [at all times] so as not to forget the prayer which you should work internally in the heart. Above all, keep in mind that the enemy is always ready to lure you into sin. Therefore, you should imitate the good soldier who is always holding his automatic gun in his hands whenever he gets out of his stronghold. The komboskini is very powerful, it is the monk’s gun, its knots being the bullets mowing down the demons.
The komboskini (the prayer rope) is a legacy, a blessing, handed down to us by our Holy Fathers. The fact it is a legacy makes it greatly valuable. If a grandfather hands down to someone something of very little value, he keeps it as an amulet. Much more so, for the komboskini handed down to us as a legacy by our Holy Fathers! In the old days there were no clocks, so the monks were counting the hours of prayer with their komboskini, but the knots were very simple.
Once, an ascetic was working very hard, doing prostrations etc., but the devil was unbinding the knots of his komboskini. He got weary with his prostrations, since he could not count them, as the devil was continuously unbinding the knots. Finally, an Angel of the lord appeared and taught him how to knit the knots properly, so that with each knot 9 crosses should be formed. The devil, who trembles before the Cross, could not unbind the knots. So, each knot forms nine crosses, which symbolize the nine angelic orders.
Elder, what do the 33, 100, 3000 knot komboskinia stand for?
Only the number 33 is symbolic of Christ’s 33 years on earth. The other numbers simply help us count our prostrations and our prayer. Some engines have a handle with a rope in order to start. So when you want to start the engine, you pull the rope with force, until the stiff oil becomes fluid. Similarly the komboskini is the rope we pull a few times till the spiritual oil melts making the spiritual engine start working the unceasing prayer. Thereafter, the heart starts working on its own. However, even when the heart starts working the prayer we should not stop using the komboskini so as not a prompt others to stop using it while their heart has not started working the prayer yet.
Elder, I am not familiar with using the komboskini.
You should keep the komboskini on you [at all times] so as not to forget the prayer which you should work internally in the heart. Above all, keep in mind that the enemy is always ready to lure you into sin. Therefore, you should imitate the good soldier who is always holding his automatic gun in his hands whenever he gets out of his stronghold. The komboskini is very powerful, it is the monk’s gun, its knots being the bullets mowing down the demons.
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